Risk and Responsibility: A Complex and Evolving Relationship

This paper analyses the nature of the relationship between risk and responsibility. Since neither the concept of risk nor the concept of responsibility has an unequivocal definition, it is obvious that there is no single interpretation of their relationship. After introducing the different meanings...

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Main Author: Kermisch, Céline
Format: Online
Language:English
Published: Springer Netherlands 2010
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3275725/
id pubmed-3275725
recordtype oai_dc
spelling pubmed-32757252012-02-21 Risk and Responsibility: A Complex and Evolving Relationship Kermisch, Céline Article This paper analyses the nature of the relationship between risk and responsibility. Since neither the concept of risk nor the concept of responsibility has an unequivocal definition, it is obvious that there is no single interpretation of their relationship. After introducing the different meanings of responsibility used in this paper, we analyse four conceptions of risk. This allows us to make their link with responsibility explicit and to determine if a shift in the connection between risk and responsibility can be outlined. (1) In the engineer’s paradigm, the quantitative conception of risk does not include any concept of responsibility. Their relationship is indirect, the locus of responsibility being risk management. (2) In Mary Douglas’ cultural theory, risks are constructed through the responsibilities they engage. (3) Rayner and (4) Wolff go further by integrating forms of responsibility in the definition of risk itself. Analysis of these four frameworks shows that the concepts of risk and responsibility are increasingly intertwined. This tendency is reinforced by increasing public awareness and a call for the integration of a moral dimension in risk management. Therefore, we suggest that a form of virtue-responsibility should also be integrated in the concept of risk. Springer Netherlands 2010-11-20 2012-03 /pmc/articles/PMC3275725/ /pubmed/21103951 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11948-010-9246-y Text en © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010
repository_type Open Access Journal
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution US National Center for Biotechnology Information
building NCBI PubMed
collection Online Access
language English
format Online
author Kermisch, Céline
spellingShingle Kermisch, Céline
Risk and Responsibility: A Complex and Evolving Relationship
author_facet Kermisch, Céline
author_sort Kermisch, Céline
title Risk and Responsibility: A Complex and Evolving Relationship
title_short Risk and Responsibility: A Complex and Evolving Relationship
title_full Risk and Responsibility: A Complex and Evolving Relationship
title_fullStr Risk and Responsibility: A Complex and Evolving Relationship
title_full_unstemmed Risk and Responsibility: A Complex and Evolving Relationship
title_sort risk and responsibility: a complex and evolving relationship
description This paper analyses the nature of the relationship between risk and responsibility. Since neither the concept of risk nor the concept of responsibility has an unequivocal definition, it is obvious that there is no single interpretation of their relationship. After introducing the different meanings of responsibility used in this paper, we analyse four conceptions of risk. This allows us to make their link with responsibility explicit and to determine if a shift in the connection between risk and responsibility can be outlined. (1) In the engineer’s paradigm, the quantitative conception of risk does not include any concept of responsibility. Their relationship is indirect, the locus of responsibility being risk management. (2) In Mary Douglas’ cultural theory, risks are constructed through the responsibilities they engage. (3) Rayner and (4) Wolff go further by integrating forms of responsibility in the definition of risk itself. Analysis of these four frameworks shows that the concepts of risk and responsibility are increasingly intertwined. This tendency is reinforced by increasing public awareness and a call for the integration of a moral dimension in risk management. Therefore, we suggest that a form of virtue-responsibility should also be integrated in the concept of risk.
publisher Springer Netherlands
publishDate 2010
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3275725/
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